


Someone to Lean On

by holbytlanna



Category: MacGyver (TV 2016)
Genre: Blacking Out, Bless Jack Dalton, Gen, Mild Hurt/Comfort, Passing Out
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-05
Updated: 2021-01-05
Packaged: 2021-03-16 08:28:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 894
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28579002
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/holbytlanna/pseuds/holbytlanna
Summary: Something feels wrong. Mac’s suddenly a little dizzy, an ache behind his eyes. He feels too hot. He doesn’t know what triggered this.
Relationships: Jack Dalton & Angus MacGyver (MacGyver TV 2016)
Comments: 15
Kudos: 47





	Someone to Lean On

Frankie’s wedding is a simple affair. Her family, his family, a few friends on either side. Mac and Jack are sitting near the back, but not so far that they can’t see how happy Frankie is. 

But something feels wrong. Mac’s suddenly a little dizzy, an ache behind his eyes. He feels too hot. He doesn’t know what triggered this. Well, he could guess — maybe the fact that he hasn’t eaten recently or slept well, or maybe the officiant said something and his brain interpreted wrong — but whatever it may have been has been driven away, out of his mind. He just feels this and he knows. _Shit. Not here, not now._ He tries to breathe calmly, hoping it will go away, but it doesn’t, and his vision gets blurry. He sits still, trying not to cause a scene. 

Mac pinches the bridge of his nose, not because it really does anything for him, but because it makes it look like he’s just got a headache. He doesn’t want to worry anyone. _It’ll pass soon enough._ Jack asks if he’s okay. Mac nods. “Yeah, I’ll be fine,” he says. 

He’s too hot, he can feel sweat between his shoulder blades. He shivers, because he feels too hot but somehow cold. It aches. He knows he should take off his suit jacket, but all he can bring himself to do is push the sleeves up. It doesn’t really help. 

He considers leaving. Getting up and walking to the bathroom. He isn’t nauseous, he’s fairly certain he won’t throw up. He just wants somewhere more private to fall apart. But he’s not sure he can stand, much less walk. And not nearly so far, not alone. And he can’t get Jack to come with him, that would just inconvenience Jack. And getting up would draw attention to himself in the middle of the wedding.

He’s trying to breathe. _In through your nose, out through your mouth. In through your nose, out through your mouth._ He tries to count and hold and count and release, but he can’t focus on numbers. He’s dizzy. He leans back in the chair, trying to ground himself. 

Mac’s sure he’s pale. His hand falls from the bridge of his nose. It’s probably shaking. He wants to whimper, but he’s trying to be calm, trying to pull himself together before anyone notices and makes a fuss over him. He might whimper anyway. Sound fades away, so he isn’t sure.

The world is spinning. The next thing Mac knows, he’s hunched over, and he might be convulsing. Or maybe the world spinning just makes him feel like he is. Someone would be freaking out if he were actually convulsing, and no one’s said anything yet. He’s grateful for that. 

He feels like he’s coming up out of deep water. There’s no panic, no fear. Just muted embarrassment. His hearing isn’t really working, and his eyes aren’t taking in everything. The world fades back into focus, and he rights himself, unsure of when he fell or how long ago it was. Mac doesn’t think it was long. He hopes it wasn’t long. He’s still too hot, but he still doesn't quite have the presence of mind to take off his coat.

Jack’s sitting next to him. Mac gives a shaky thumbs up, whispering “I’m okay. I’m okay, I just need…” He wants to finish the sentence, but everything’s spinning. He leans against Jack’s shoulder, desperate for something solid, expecting Jack to stiffen up, to be confused. He lets Mac lean. Mac’s never been more grateful, but he’s still too detached from his own reality to process that.

Mac stretches his long legs out a bit. And closes his eyes. And just breathes for a moment. A long moment. Hearing comes back a bit, he can hear what’s going on around him. He focuses on a voice, lets it ground him as he tries to listen and take in what’s being said. He’s pretty sure it’s the officiant, dictating vows. The shoulder his face is against is too warm, but the very thought of leaving the solidity of it… 

Eventually, Mac pulls himself back together. He straightens up, and mumbles “thank you.” He can’t really bring himself to be embarrassed that he needed to borrow Jack’s shoulder. Not just yet. That will come later, but for now, Mac’s just exhausted and grateful. He’s still too warm, but this time, he can take off his coat. He’s a little embarrassed by the fact that he’s somewhat dishevelled, but if no one noticed him possibly passing out — did he even really pass out? He’s not sure — then hopefully they won’t notice his temporary indecency.

He sits still, breathing. His hands are shaking a bit still, so he presses his thumb in lines up from the base of his palm to the tip of his finger. And then from the base of his palm up to the next finger tip. He just does the fingertips. He does it to his other hand. Mac squeezes in small increments up his hand, letting the pressure (which hurts a little) still the shaking just a little. And it’s another thing to ground him.

Finally, he feels a little more human. His sweat has cooled and dried on his back, leaving him chilly. He shrugs back into his jacket, and moves on.

**Author's Note:**

> I am prone to fainting spells. A combination of low blood sugar and squeamishness (and yet I like whump?? Idk)  
> The most recent fainting spell I had was a few months ago, I was sitting in church and all of a sudden, whoosh! I'm shaking and clammy and need to sit down. Fortunately, my brother didn't say anything when I "borrowed" his shoulder :)  
> When I got home (I was perfectly fine btw, just took me a minute), my whump-loving heart thought "I should write down everything I thought and felt, so that I can write it realistically next time it comes up." Because that's a normal reaction to passing out?? I guess???
> 
> So this is that. My experiences superimposed on Mac, because why not?
> 
> Thanks for reading, my lovelies!


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